Julia Eccleshare reviews children's picture books

The Further Adventures of the Owl and the Pussy-cat by Julia Donaldson and Charlotte Voake, Silver Buttons by Bob Graham, The Day the Crayons Quit by Oliver Jeffers and Drew Daywalt and Little Mouse's Big Book of Beasts by Emily Gravett

Stuff and nonsense … a detail from The Further Adv entures of the Owl and the Pussy-cat, illustrated by cccccccc PR

For well over 100 years, the Owl and the Pussy-cat have been dancing hand in hand on the edge of the sand by the light of the moon, the moon. But now at last they are off on a new adventure, shaped by Julia Donaldson, although very much in the manner of Edward Lear's original. Here the bong-trees provide poor shelter and the ring bought from the pig for one shilling is unceremoniously stolen from the newlyweds by a passing crow as they sleep off the wedding.

So the Owl and the Pussy-cat set off in new transport, but with the trusty runcible spoon, to find the crow and retrieve the ring. They visit the Chankly Bore and meet the Pobble who has no toes before returning home to a delicious looking hot dinner in the company of the Dong with the luminous nose. Donaldson has created an entertaining addition to Lear's work, while Charlotte Voake breathes new life into some of his best-loved and most original creations. (4+)

The brief, magical time between a baby's first step and the inevitable moment when he topples over is here neatly seen within an ever-widening set of everyday events that happen at exactly the same moment. Like ripples in a pool, every picture shows the big and bigger world outside. As Jonathan staggers shakily to his feet, beside him his big sister Jodie is drawing; in the next room his mum is playing her tin whistle; just past the window a feather floats down from a pigeon until we get to see a tanker in the bay heading out to China. Every picture tells its own story, and through them all, Bob Graham encourages readers to reflect on, and reach out to, the world around them. (4+)

When Duncan opens his art box he finds a stack of messages inside; every crayon has something to say. Red complains that fire engines and strawberries are used too much; purple is a neat-minded soul who hates it that Duncan goes outside the lines; black is equally indignant to be used just for outlines. Saddest of all, peach has lost his wrapping and is embarrassed to come out of the box naked. How they are all satisfied in the end is a delightful joke, executed in Oliver Jeffers's stunning illustrations. (5+)

With his cleverly constructed pages – all paper tearing, crossings out and post-it notes full of advice, Little Mouse scared and delighted readers with his Big Book of Fears. His new Big Book is equally entertaining as Little Mouse faces some terrifying monsters. Luckily, he is resourceful and creative. Armed with his paintbox and fine brush, he paints some pretty mittens over the lion's horribly sharp claws, avoids the bear by fashioning himself an escape hole out of the page, and rolls up a newspaper to make a nifty wasp swat (and you, dear reader, can use it too) to avoid being plagued by the nasty creatures. Emily Gravett is as inventive and dazzling as ever. (6+)